Is there anything better than people watching?  Airports, shopping areas, and vacation spots are some of the best places for watching people.  You get such a variety of people from all walks of life, and it’s fascinating.  

A few years ago, while on the beach with our girls, we watched a young, very pale couple make a spot next to us and then proceed to go into the ocean.  We thought nothing of it.  Before long, they came back up to the shore and dried off, and did a little kanoodling before they began to lather on their sunscreen.  First of all, these two lovebirds were unable to apply sunscreen to their own bodies.  Inexplicably, they could only apply it to their partner.  I know, I’m sounding prudish, but it wasn’t like that.  These two spent an exorbitant amount of time lathering sunscreen all over one another, and at the same time, they didn’t actually rub it in.  They just applied a thick, slimy layer and then left it that way.  Upon completion of the task, they both covered their faces with towels and lay on their blanket like cold fish. It was the strangest thing.

We spent hours at the beach that day, and they never moved again. Perhaps they fell asleep, but they never even stepped into the ocean to cool off again.  Meanwhile, we couldn’t stand to lie in the sun for more than 20 minutes before we had to cool off in the salty, cool waves.

I have no idea what happened to those people.  We didn’t encounter them again during our vacation, but all of these years later, we still recall the crazy sunscreen people and chuckle.

Most recently, while at the beach again, Sydney and I encountered a young couple traveling with what seemed to be her family.  They didn’t appear to be married, and during our first day of seeing them, I remember saying that I wished they would just shut up for 5 minutes.  They talked with her mom incessantly by the pool for 2 hours straight.  

A few days later, while sitting by the ocean, we spotted them again.  This time, they were alone and having what appeared to be a heated discussion.  To be honest, I didn’t even recognize them as the same people we had seen before until Sydney pointed it out.  

Fifteen minutes passed, and we noticed they were still standing in the sand, arguing.  We jokingly wondered how you could be mad in a beautiful place like Maui, and continued with our sunbathing.  After another 15 minutes had passed, I told Sydney that maybe we should take them a cheeseburger because it couldn’t be that bad.  Perhaps they were just hangry. Sydney laughed and thought they might need something stronger, given their body language.  We continued to watch and struck up a conversation with the lady beside us.  She happened to be reading the popular book by Mel Robbins, Let Them, and she said she was going to go offer them the book because they appeared to need it more than she did.  We all laughed and then decided to cool off in the ocean.  When we returned, the couple was still going at it.  Sydney seriously considered offering them some sunscreen because they were fair-skinned and just standing out in the full sun with their suits on, no hats or coverups of any kind.  

A few minutes later, we noticed that they were gone.  They had been out there for at least 45 minutes, and we hoped they had made up or at least had the good sense to eat a meal before they continued.  Nothing can be solved on an empty stomach.

About an hour later, we went to grab some lunch at the beachside bar.  Lo and behold, our couple walked in looking none too thrilled with one another. Clearly, they had not made up, and they still had not eaten.  They were not speaking or looking at one another. They ordered two waters, and I’m not going to lie, I almost took our Mai Tais over to see if they just wanted a little sip.  It couldn’t hurt, right?  At least it would maybe take the edge off their apparent anger issues.  Thankfully, drinks arrived at their table along with an appetizer, and slowly we watched them transform.  They started sneaking looks at one another, smiles began to emerge, and before we knew it, they were holding hands and laughing.  

Once again, all was right with the world, and Sydney and I could get back to our books without worrying about this couple. 

So, next time you go on vacation and you decide to argue on a public beach or lather your partner

up with an entire bottle of sunscreen, just know that someone is watching.